Monday, July 20, 2009

RIP Frank McCourt

Just read the NY Times article. He was right, you do look back on things as funny, and absurd. I have to, anyway. He brought that to his classroom, and that, to me, proves his value as a teacher-man.

I am sure there are enough people out there who will write eulogies and tributes about his warmth and humor, his resourcefulness and inspiration, his rags-to-riches story and how beloved he was as a teacher and writer. I am just proud that I was able to share one high school semester of my life with him.

He exposed me to Thomas Wolfe's "You Can't Go Home Again," the ultimate exploration of autobiography, and the potential use4s of one's own life as writing material. His class was the definition of "write what you know." For that I will forever be grateful.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Captain Zorikh's New Haircut!

Well, my hair was not as long as it is in this video, but I feel that I might as well share it with you, ans I have just gotten my summer haircut.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Panhandling act needs work

So I was sitting on the subway, reading a comic book with a Captain Marvel in it, when one of NYC's ubiquitous Subway Panhandlers entered. He was a short, middle-aged man loudly mumbling something about how he was starving and just needed five dollars for "a cheeseburger and a Pepsi-Cola."

Now, I will happily give money to an entertainer on the street or in the subway if I truly enjoy them, but I am not in a financial position to donate to everyone who walks through a subway car with their hand out, and this guy did not seem entirely kosher (meat & cheese notwithstanding).

He was very loudly and annoyingly moaning about how hungry he was, so I offered him a Nutter-Butter I happened to have in my bag. He said he couldn't eat sugar.

BUSTED!

I pointed out that he was asking for a Pepsi-Cola. Pepsi has sugar in it! He stammered out "I...I meant Diet Pepsi! Diet Pepsi!" I continued to point out the fallacy in his pitch. and told him to take a hike. He beat it out of that subway car in the next stop.

EPILOGUE:

A few weeks later I saw the same guy in the same subway line. He was still loudly mumbling/moaning about being hungry and needing money. I asked him if he ever got his burger and Pepsi-Cola, then loudly remembered that he didn't eat sugar. He beat it off of that subway car right quick.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Captain Zorikh's Movie Madness today!

The third bi-monthly screening party at Otto's Shrunken Head returns!

Horizontal lightning

I saw a bolt of lightning that was perfectly horizontal. It was up almost long enough to get a camera and shoot it, but not quite.